How to Buy a Domain Name in Just a Few Minutes

Anyone that sets up a website for their company will want to buy a domain name as quickly as possible, in order to create the URL that they will use as an address. To do so, it is important to take certain precautions concerning the choice of domain name, in addition to selecting who will register your domain name and who will host your website.

What you need to know about buying a domain name

First steps before buying a domain name

Before you buy a domain name, you obviously have to choose between a list of several options that will be used to represent your company, whether you decide to use its' name, the brand that you are promoting or a keyword that is important for your website. Ideally, you should choose a domain name that is relatively short and without numbers or dashes.

Be careful not to copy word for word the main keyword that you use on your website by creating the URL because Google will tend to penalize you. For example, if you sell shoes at low prices, the domain name www.lowpriceshoes.com will not be advantageous.

Here are 4 examples of catchy domain names (that already exist):

Food blog: kissmyspatula.com

Fashion and decor blog: abeautifulmess.com

E-commerce website: ecommerceguide.com

New York tourism: ilovenewyork.com

Once the decision has been made, you will have to go on a domain name registry website or on a web hosting company. Next, you will check whether the domain name is available. To do so, you can search on Whois. This service will allow you to have access to the internet registry which contains the registered domain names.

If the name you desire has already been bought by another company, you will have to readjust by changing either the middle part of the domain name or the extension (.org, .ca or other).

Buying a domain name: same company for hosting?

When you buy a domain name, you will have to choose between two options, either to do business with the same company to register your domain name and host it or to choose two different companies to take care of it. Each of these options has its own advantages and it's up to you to choose the one that's right for you.

Photo: PicJumbo

Pairing domain name registration and website hosting

Although you may not have access to a flat fee when pairing these two tasks, associating them will still allow you to shop for the rates that you pay for one or the other and to get the best price for each one. However, this option will force you to get used to the fact that all of your activities will be concentrated in the same place.

Since choosing the right web hosting company is essential if you want your website to be accessible at all times, it is generally recommended that you choose a web host beforehand and compare between the prices that they offer and those which are offered by other providers. You will then be able to get a better price for both services.

Registering your domain name and hosting your website at the same place

As stated previously, the first advantage of registering your domain name and hosting your website at the same place is the possibility of getting a better rate, since both services are paired. Secondly, doing business with one company instead of two will limit the number of communication channels, which tends to simplify the management of a professional relationship and any changes that may occur along the way.

In turn, doing business with only one company can cause problems if a misunderstanding occurs. It may be slightly more complicated to break this business relationship, as the company manages both your domain name and the hosting of your website on a server.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

.com, .ca, .net: which one should you choose for your domain name?

When buying your domain name, you will need to choose which type of domain extension you prefer to select. You will have many choices, including the best-known ones that are .com, .ca, .net, .org and .info. There are also other options including .co or .biz.

The former is considered more prestigious and therefore, they are more expensive at the time of purchase. However, they are taken more seriously by visitors and search engines (to a certain extent). Therefore, it is always recommended to prefer these instead of trying to save some money.

After all, this decision could have a long-term impact, because it is quite complicated to change a domain name once a site reaches a certain notoriety. Ask yourself: what are you looking for and what is the best decision in the long run. Because if you plan for business growth, the extensions that are specifically associated with a country (.ca, .fr, .us) can have a negative impact.

How much does it cost to buy a domain name?

For a basic domain name, count approximately 12$USD per year. Regarding more "prestigious" domain names, the initial buying price will be more costly (even going up to several thousands of dollars if the name is highly coveted) but the annual fees will also be of 12$USD per year.

However, know that it is possible to get a better price if you buy your name for more than one year. Extra fees can be charged if you wish to protect your identity and your contact information when the previously-mentioned search engine (Whois) will identify your domain name as requested by another web user. By default, know that this information will be made available for all.

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